oSIST prEN 659:2021
(Main)Protective gloves for firefighters
Protective gloves for firefighters
This document defines minimum performance requirements and test methods for firefighters' protective gloves.
This document applies only to firefighters' protective gloves which protect the hands during normal firefighting, including structural fire, wildland and rescue.
These gloves are not intended for deliberate handling of liquid chemicals, but provide some protection against accidental contact with chemicals.
Protective gloves for special operations within firefighting service are excluded from the scope of this document.
Feuerwehrschutzhandschuhe
Dieses Dokument legt auf die Leistung bezogene Mindestanforderungen und Prüfverfahren für Feuerwehrschutzhandschuhe fest.
Dieses Dokument gilt nur für Feuerwehrschutzhandschuhe, die die Hände bei normalen Feuerbekämpfungstätigkeiten einschließlich Gebäudebränden, Waldbränden und Rettung schützen.
Diese Feuerwehrschutzhandschuhe sind nicht für ein beabsichtigtes Arbeiten mit flüssigen Chemikalien vorgesehen, sie bieten jedoch einen gewissen Schutz bei versehentlichem Kontakt mit Chemikalien.
Feuerwehrschutzhandschuhe für besondere Feuerbekämpfungstätigkeiten sind nicht im Anwendungsbereich dieses Dokumentes erfasst.
Gants de protection pour sapeurs-pompiers
Le présent document définit des exigences minimales de performance et des méthodes d'essai relatives aux gants de protection pour sapeurs-pompiers.
Le présent document s'applique uniquement aux gants de protection pour sapeurs-pompiers qui protègent les mains lors de la lutte contre l'incendie en conditions normales, y compris en cas de feux de structure ou de feux de forêts ou en cas de sauvetage.
Ces gants ne sont pas destinés à la manipulation volontaire de produits chimiques liquides, mais procurent un certain degré de protection contre un contact accidentel avec des produits chimiques.
Les gants de protection destinés à des opérations spéciales réalisées dans le cadre de la lutte contre l’incendie sont exclus du domaine d'application du présent document.
Zaščitne rokavice za gasilce
General Information
Relations
Standards Content (Sample)
SLOVENSKI STANDARD
oSIST prEN 659:2021
01-oktober-2021
Zaščitne rokavice za gasilce
Protective gloves for firefighters
Feuerwehrschutzhandschuhe
Gants de protection pour sapeurs-pompiers
Ta slovenski standard je istoveten z: prEN 659
ICS:
13.220.10 Gašenje požara Fire-fighting
13.340.40 Varovanje dlani in rok Hand and arm protection
oSIST prEN 659:2021 en,fr,de
2003-01.Slovenski inštitut za standardizacijo. Razmnoževanje celote ali delov tega standarda ni dovoljeno.
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oSIST prEN 659:2021
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oSIST prEN 659:2021
DRAFT
EUROPEAN STANDARD
prEN 659
NORME EUROPÉENNE
EUROPÄISCHE NORM
August 2021
ICS 13.340.40 Will supersede EN 659:2003+A1:2008
English Version
Protective gloves for firefighters
Gants de protection pour sapeurs-pompiers Feuerwehrschutzhandschuhe
This draft European Standard is submitted to CEN members for enquiry. It has been drawn up by the Technical Committee
CEN/TC 162.
If this draft becomes a European Standard, CEN members are bound to comply with the CEN/CENELEC Internal Regulations
which stipulate the conditions for giving this European Standard the status of a national standard without any alteration.
This draft European Standard was established by CEN in three official versions (English, French, German). A version in any other
language made by translation under the responsibility of a CEN member into its own language and notified to the CEN-CENELEC
Management Centre has the same status as the official versions.
CEN members are the national standards bodies of Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia,
Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway,
Poland, Portugal, Republic of North Macedonia, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and
United Kingdom.
Recipients of this draft are invited to submit, with their comments, notification of any relevant patent rights of which they are
aware and to provide supporting documentation.
Warning : This document is not a European Standard. It is distributed for review and comments. It is subject to change without
notice and shall not be referred to as a European Standard.
EUROPEAN COMMITTEE FOR STANDARDIZATION
COMITÉ EUROPÉEN DE NORMALISATION
EUROPÄISCHES KOMITEE FÜR NORMUNG
CEN-CENELEC Management Centre: Rue de la Science 23, B-1040 Brussels
© 2021 CEN All rights of exploitation in any form and by any means reserved Ref. No. prEN 659:2021 E
worldwide for CEN national Members.
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Contents Page
European foreword . 4
Introduction . 5
1 Scope . 6
2 Normative references . 6
3 Terms and definitions . 7
4 General requirements . 8
4.1 General. 8
4.1.1 Table of requirements . 8
4.1.2 Sampling . 9
4.2 Cleaning . 9
4.3 Sizes . 10
4.4 Dexterity . 10
4.5 Time for the removal of gloves . 10
4.6 Resistance to water penetration . 10
4.6.1 Materials . 10
4.6.2 Whole glove integrity . 11
4.7 Abrasion resistance . 11
4.8 Cut resistance . 11
4.9 Tear resistance . 11
4.10 Puncture resistance . 12
4.11 Burning behaviour . 12
4.12 Convective heat resistance . 12
4.13 Radiant heat resistance . 13
4.14 Contact heat resistance . 13
4.15 Heat resistance of the full glove . 13
4.16 Resistance to liquid chemical penetration . 13
4.17 Seam breaking strength . 14
4.18 Melting of thread . 14
5 Sampling and conditioning . 14
5.1 General. 14
5.2 Wet conditioning . 14
6 Test methods . 15
6.1 General. 15
6.1.1 General information . 15
6.2 Time for the removal of gloves . 15
6.3 Resistance to water penetration . 15
6.3.1 Materials . 15
6.3.2 Whole glove integrity . 15
6.4 Burning behaviour . 16
6.5 Convective heat resistance . 16
6.6 Radiant heat resistance . 17
6.7 Contact heat resistance . 17
6.8 Heat resistance of the full glove . 17
6.9 Resistance to liquid chemical penetration . 17
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7 Marking . 18
8 Information supplied by the manufacturer . 19
Annex ZA (informative) Relationship between this European Standard and the essential
requirements of Regulation 2016/425 aimed to be covered . 20
Bibliography . 21
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European foreword
This document (prEN 659:2021) has been prepared by Technical Committee CEN/TC 162 “Protective
clothing including hand and arm protection and lifejackets”, the secretariat of which is held by DIN.
This document is currently submitted to the CEN Enquiry.
This document will supersede EN 659:2003+A1:2008.
In comparison with the previous edition, the following major changes have been made:
• 3 categories of glove for firefighter (structural fire, rescue, wildland);
• Alignment with the term and definition standardized in ISO/TC 94/SC 13;
• Reference to new standard EN 388:2016+A1:2018, EN 407:2020, EN ISO 21420:2020, etc.;
• New TDM test coming from EN 388:2016+A1:2018;
• Larger number of sizes;
• New test for whole glove integrity;
• New marking system;
• New test and requirement for “melting of thread”;
• New Annex ZA with reference to Regulation (EU) 2016/425.
This document has been prepared under a Standardization Request given to CEN by the European
Commission and the European Free Trade Association, and supports essential requirements of EU
Directive(s) / Regulation(s).
For relationship with EU Directive(s) / Regulation(s), see informative Annex ZA, which is an integral part
of this document.
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Introduction
Suitable gloves for firefighters can enable firefighters to work for long periods under hazardous
conditions. However, it is not possible to relate the performance levels achieved in laboratory testing to
protection levels under actual use conditions.
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1 Scope
This document defines minimum performance requirements and test methods for firefighters' protective
gloves.
This document applies only to firefighters' protective gloves which protect the hands during normal
firefighting, including structural fire, wildland and rescue.
These gloves are not intended for deliberate handling of liquid chemicals, but provide some protection
against accidental contact with chemicals.
Protective gloves for special operations within firefighting service are excluded from the scope of this
document.
2 Normative references
The following documents are referred to in the text in such a way that some or all of their content
constitutes requirements of this document. For dated references, only the edition cited applies. For
undated references, the latest edition of the referenced document (including any amendments) applies.
EN 388:2016+A1:2018, Protective gloves against mechanical risks
EN 407:2020, Protective gloves and other hand protective equipments against thermal risks (Heat and/or
fire)
EN ISO 811:2018, Textiles — Determination of resistance to water penetration — Hydrostatic pressure test
(ISO 811:2018)
EN ISO 3146:2000, Plastics — Determination of melting behaviour (melting temperature or melting range)
of semi-crystalline polymers by capillary tube and polarizing microscope methods (ISO 3146:2000)
EN ISO 6530:2005, Protective clothing — Protection against liquid chemicals — Test method for resistance
of materials to penetration by liquids (ISO 6530:2005)
EN ISO 13935-2:2014, Textiles — Seam tensile properties of fabrics and made-up textile articles — Part 2:
Determination of maximum force to seam rupture using the grab method (ISO 13935-2:2014)
EN ISO 20344:2011, Personal protective equipment — Test methods for footwear (ISO 20344:2011)
EN ISO 20345:2011, Personal protective equipment — Safety footwear (ISO 20345:2011)
EN ISO 21420:2020, Protective gloves — General requirements and test methods (ISO 21420:2020)
ISO 17493:2016, Clothing and equipment for protection against heat — Test method for convective heat
resistance using a hot air circulating oven
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3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
ISO and IEC maintain terminological databases for use in standardization at the following addresses:
• IEC Electropedia: available at https://www.electropedia.org/
• ISO Online browsing platform: available at https://www.iso.org/obp
3.1
cleaning
process by which a PPE is made serviceable again and/or hygienically wearable by removing any dirt or
contamination
Note 1 to entry: A cleaning cycle is typically a washing plus drying and/or a dry-cleaning treatment followed, if
required, by ironing or other finishing.
3.2
conditioning
one or more operations intended to bring a sample or test specimen into a state of equilibrium with
regard to temperature and humidity
3.3
hole
break in original structure of the test specimen’s fabric in any dimension and having a continuous
perimeter caused e.g. by melting, glowing or flaming
3.4
outer material
outermost material of which a glove is made, including hardware, labels, protectors, closure and
reflecting materials
3.5
vapour moisture barrier
part of the glove that is used to achieve the properties of hydrostatic pressure and water vapour
permeability
3.6
innermost lining
innermost layer of fabric or other material inserted in a glove which is intended to be nearest to the
wearer's body
Note 1 to entry: Where the innermost lining forms part of a material combination, the material combination is
regarded as the innermost lining.
3.7
gloves made from several layers
— unbonded layers: a glove that is made from 2 or more layers of materials which are not connected
together, after preparing the sample for the test;
— bonded layers: a glove that is made from 2 or more layers of materials which are connected
together (e.g. glued, stitched, dipped, impregnated) after preparing the sample for the test
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3.8
seam
method of permanent fastening between two or more pieces of material by sewing or any other method
4 General requirements
4.1 General
4.1.1 Table of requirements
All tests required in this document shall be performed on unused gloves unless otherwise specified.
Firefighters' protective gloves shall meet all the applicable requirements of EN ISO 21420:2020 except
for specific requirements defined in this document (e.g. length of gloves).
This document defines 3 types of gloves for firefighters (Structural fire, rescue and wildland)
corresponding to 3 work conditions. For each of its his firefighter gloves, the manufacturer shall chose
one of these 3 categories. Then, the glove shall conform to the basic requirements of the chosen type as
given in Table 1
A empty box, in Table 2 to Table 15, means that this property is not required.
Table 1 — Requirements for the different types of gloves for firefighter
Test to be
performed
before (B)
Requirements Clause Structural fire Rescue Wildland
and/or
after (A)
cleaning
General 4.1 X X X
Cleaning 4.2 X X X
Sizes 4.3 X X B
dexterity 4.4 X X A
Time for removal 4.5 X X A
Resistance to Water
penetration
4.6.1 X O B
Material
Resistance to Water
penetration
4.6.2 X O B and A
Whole gloves integrity
Resistance to abrasion 4.7 X X X B
Resistance to Cut 4.8 X X X B
Resistance to Tear 4.9 X X X B
Resistance to Puncture 4.10 X X X B
Burning behaviour 4.11 X X X B-A
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Test to be
performed
before (B)
Requirements Clause Structural fire Rescue Wildland
and/or
after (A)
cleaning
Resistance to Convective
4.12 X X X B-A
Heat
Resistance to Radiant heat 4.13 X X A
Resistance to Contact heat 4.14 X X X A
Heat resistance 4.15 X X X A
Resistance to Chemical 4.16 X X B
Seam breaking strength 4.17 X X B
Thread melting 4.18 X X B
NOTE X means the requirement given in the clause of this document shall be met.
O means that this requirement is optional.
An empty box means that this property is not required for the associated risk.
4.1.2 Sampling
When parts of the glove are made from different materials, these different materials shall be tested
separately, except if another way is specified in the standard. The results of each material shall comply
with the requirements given in Table 1.
NOTE Different material means different materials as part of the outer layer and/or reinforcements on a single
layer for example.
In those circumstances when the sample size is significantly larger than the particular part of the glove
or hand protective equipment being tested (for example the fingers area), then the manufacturer shall be
requested to supply samples of the appropriate dimensions representative of the glove performances.
4.2 Cleaning
The number of cleaning cycles shall be at least 5. If care instructions are provided, the relevant tests shall
be performed on the gloves, before and after they have been subjected to the procedure described in the
care instruction, including the maximum recommended number of cleaning cycles.
If the maximum number of cleaning cycles is not specified by the manufacturer, the gloves to be tested
shall be washed and dried or cleaned at least 5 times according to the information on the care label.
The levels of performance are given by the lowest of the result obtained before and/or after cleaning as
defined in Table 1.
NOTE Manufacturer’s instructions typically indicate one or several of the various methods and processes of
EN ISO 6330, EN ISO 15797 or equivalent as standardized processes for cleaning.
This clause does not apply to single use gloves.
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4.3 Sizes
When measured according to 6.1 of EN ISO 21420:2020, the minimum length for the glove for firefighter
(structural and wildland) shall be in accordance with Table 2.
Table 2 — Minimum length of protective gloves for firefighters
Hand size 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13
Minimum length of 250 260 270 280 290 305 315 More than
glove (mm) 315
The user should take care that the gloves are compatible with the sleeves of the selected protective
clothing and ensure that no skin is exposed when the arms are stretched.
4.4 Dexterity
The glove for firefighter shall be tested according to the dexterity test described 6.1 of
EN ISO 21420:2020. When tested accordingly, the glove shall be in accordance with Table 3.
Table 3 — Minimum performance for dexterity for gloves for firefighters
Level of performance given in Structural fire Rescue Wildland
EN ISO 21420:2020, 5.2 Level 1 Level 3
4.5 Time for the removal of gloves
The glove for firefighter shall be tested according to 6.2. W
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